Rack shelving



sept. 15, 1925. 1554,'01'1 LLEHMAN RRRRRRRRRRR G Filed Aug. 12,1920 y esheets-sheet 1 l i STANDARD SIZE l: s A i Wwmmmn 1m un 22 lli W/H Y V@mmmillll v I e l. nmmu'm.

sept.15,1925. l 13mm E. G. LEHMAN RACK SHELVING Filed Aug. 12, 1920 6Sheets-Sheet 3 Tl/mw Sept. l5, 1925.

E. G. LEHMAN RACK SHELVING 1920 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 12

Septy l5, 1925 1,554,011

' y E. G. LEHMAN RACK SHELVING Filed Aug- 12, 1920 6 Sheets-Sheet 6Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

i UNITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD G. LEHMAN, F CANTON, OHIO.

Application mea August 12, 1920. serial No. 402,957.

Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RackShelving, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to metal shelving, and more particularly'to theconstruction of rack shelving adapted for use in shops, fac'- tories,warehouses and other places for storing materials in an accessiblemanner; and the objects of the invention are to simplify theconstruction of such shelving, to make and join the members thereof insuch a manner that they can be knocked down for shipping and readilyreassembled, and to join the frame members in such'amanner as to givestrength and rigidity to withstand the strains and stresses of use.

The objects of the invention thus set forth in general terms, areattained bythe construction and arrangement illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, formingr part hereof in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of metal shelving embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2, an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of two upright members,two rack bars and a shelf thereon, partlyr broken away to show detailsof construction;

Flg. 3, a fragmentary perspective view of an upright member;

Fig. 4, a detached perspective view of a shelf;

Fig. 5, a rack bar v Fig. 6,-` a detached perspective view'of a cardholder; y

Fig. 7, a fragmentary plan section through an upright member andadjacent parts;

Figl. Fig.

Fig. 9, a plan view of a double rack construction with anintermediaten'ow of uprights;

detached perspective viewy of a 8, a fragmentary section on line 8-8,

Fig. 10, anenlarged lan section of one intermediate upright. anadjoiningparts;

Fig. 11, a fragmentar Aperspective view of an intermediate uprig t;

Fig. 12,. a fragmentary plansection on line 12-12, Fig. 13; showing theuse of back and front plates and a modified form of brace plate,`toforma bin; n

Fig. 13, an elevation section on line 13- 13, Fig. 12;

Fig. 14, a showing detailsof the front bin plates and the modied braceplate;

Fig. 15, a detached perspective view of a lfront bin plate;

Fig. 16, a`.detached perspectiveY view of a modified brace plate; andFig. 17, a fragmentary perspective of a back bin plate.

Similar numerals refer to Similar parts throughout the drawings.

The shelf frame involved in this invention is made of upright members 1made of sheet metal shaped along longitudinal lines to form a T-sectionwith a hollow rectangular head 2, and parallel flanges 3 forming a viewstem extending mward from the middle ofy one side; which upright membersare connected lengthwise of the frame by longitudinal channel barmembers 4 upon wh1ch rest the sheet metal shelf plates 5.

A series of rectangular recesses 6 are cut in the inner wall 7 oftheT-headof' the upright members on each side of the stem flanges thereof,which recesses extend 'to and include that portion of the side walls 8of the Thead `equal to the thickness of the inner wall 7 thereof; andthe stem anges 3 of the upright members are provided with acorrespondingl series of vapertures 9 for receivin the Shanks ofthe`bolts 10k employed 1n connecting the frame .members together. f 1

The flanges/11 of the channel bar frame members 4 are cut awayl at eachend and the protruding web portion is bent backward at ri ht angles toform an abutment plate 12 w ich is provided with a bolt aperture 13';and slots 14 are also cut in the flanges of the channel barsi to formthe tongues 15 at each end thereof, which tongues are ada ted to beentered through the recesses 6 in t e wa11s-7 of the upright members byengaging the slots 14 of the channel bar angles with .theside walls 8 ofthe upright.

T e tongues 15 are lected slightly towar each other so as ,to more'readily enter between the upper and lower edges of the recess 7, andthe parts are so proportioned that when the tongues are entered in arecess, thek inclined faces of the tongues will wedge againstthe upperfragmentary perspective view,

preferably bent or demouths of the slots 14 are preferably beveled -so'as to facilitate the entrance and engagement-of the end wall -8 of theupright therein, the parts being so proportioned that when the walls 8-are entered in the slots they will completely fill the same and itfirmly therein. l

The shelf plates are shaped to fornr the Adownturned flanges at eachend, which flanges are adapted to enter between the stem flanges 3 oftheupright members and Ythe abutment Iplates 12 of the longitudinal bars 4when the tongues thereon are entered in the recesses of the uprightmembers, and apertures 16l are provided in these shelf flanges toreceive the bolts 10 when all the parts are assembled.

The side edges of the lshelf plates5`are shaped to form the inturnedflanges 17, which anges are adapted to fit neatly around the upperflanges of the longitudinal channel bars, and the corners of the shelvesare cut away at 18 to fit around the T-head of the upright members.

It is evident that all the parts may be readily assembled by placing ashelf late upon two longitudinal channel bars an o- -sitioning thesebars at an interval inslde their final location, whereu" on the endsofthese bars, with the shelf pltite thereon, are placed inside therecesses in the inner walls of the T-head of the upright members, afterwhich the bars are moved outward so that the tongues on their ends will"enter the recesses in the manner described and the upper flanges' of thechannel bars'will engage the inturned flanges on the sides of the shelfplates, in which position the parts may be secured by inserting theconnecting bolts 10 throu h the apertures. provided therefor.

In addition to the wedging of the tongues 15 a ainst the edges of therecesses 6, and the figtting of the side walls 8"of the T-head in theslots 14 in the flanges of the channel bars, the-web portion of thechannel bar is located in the same plane with the inner wall 7 with theT-head of the upright member, and the abutting edges of these partsincreases the rigidity of the joint made by the wedging and interlockingof the ton es and slots with the walls of the upright members.

A "number of brace plates 19 may be inserted and bolted between the stemflan es of the upright members, if desired, to sti en the frame againsttransverse strains and to serve as the end wall of a bin; and a labelholder 20 may be secured in the channel bars '4 by means of bolts passedthrough apertures 21 in the label holder, and slots 22 in the web of thechannel bar, the label holder being provided with groove forming theflan es 23 in which may be entered a name labe 24 as shown in Fi 1.

An upright 1 may employed for use intermediate the sides of the shelvingto increase the depth or the strength thereof, which intermediate memberis 4made with stem flanges 3 extending both ways from the rectangularhollow head or body portion 2a thereof, and rectangularl recesses VY6are provided in both walls alongside the stem flanges as shown in Fig.11, 'to which intermediate upright members, the longitudinal bars andthe shelf sheets, are connected and secured the same as to the ordinaryupright members. y

The rack shelving can be made into bins by using the front and backplates shown in Figs. 12` to- 15 and 17 and the bins may extendcontinuously from end-to end of the shown in Fig. 16.

The front plates 25 are shaped as channels with inturned flanges 26,which flanges are cut away at the ends to abut the side walls 8 of theupright members, and the protruding ends26 of the web portion extendbehind the'inner walls 7 of the upright members and are cut and bent toform the flange hooks 27 which engage said inner shelves, by using themodified brace plate y walls by p assing through recesses 6 therein. v

The serles of recesses 6 are preferably spaced about three inches apartso as to permit an adjustment of the height of the shelves, and thefront plates 25 may be made threeV inches wide, or any multi le thereof,and as man front plates maye used one above the ot er as may benecessary to give the desired height to the front wall of the bin. Theinturned flanges of the front plate may be utilized as a holder for aname label 24, in lieu`of the separate label holder 20.

The back plates 28 are shaped with outturned L-anges on their ends forabutting the side walls `8 and engaging. behind the inner walls 7 of theuprlght inembers; and these flanges are notched every three inches tocorrespond to the recesses 6 in the upright members, so .as toaccommodate the longitudinal channel bars 4 wherever they may bellocated, which ,permits the back plate to extend the lentire height ofthethe end flanges 15 of the shelf plates, without obstructing theopening between adjacent shelves.

v .The end portion 30.0f the modified bracev plates, are of suchvertical depth 'as to pro- `vide for at least two apertures 32 corre-Yserve to brace and strengthen the saine.`

Iv claim 1. A shelf frame including upright members having a rectangularsection with a hollow body and stem flanges, there being 4 rectangularrecesses in the walls of the body alongside the stem flanges, and achannel bar having an abutment plate on its end and tongues and slotsin'its anges, said tongues having inclined faces for wedging in a recessand `interen aging with the walls of `the upri ht mem ers.

2. A s elf frame including upright members having a rectangular sectionwith a hollow body and stem flanges, there being rectangular recesses inthe inner wall of the body alon side the stem flanges, and alongitudinal anged bar having an abutment plate kon its end and a tongueand a slot in its flanges for entering a recess and interlocking withthe walls of the upright member, and -a shelf plate having a downturnedange entered between the abutment plate on the flanged bar and a stemflange of the upri ht member.

3. A shel frame including upright members having a rectangular sectionwith a hollow body and stem flanges, there being --rectangular recessesin the inner wall of the body alongsidethe stem flanges, and alongitudinal flanged bar having an abutment plate on its end and atongue and al slot in its anges for entering a recess and interlockingwiththe walls of the upright member, and a shelf plate having adownturned lian e entered between the abutment plate on t e flanged barand the stem flanges of Y. the upri ht member, and having an inturned jflange or engaging the 4upper flange of the longitudinal bar.

4. A shelf frame including an upright member of T-cross section havingrecesses in its rear walls, a longitudinal bar with a shelf platethereon connected with the upright member, and a front plate provided.with outwardly extending flanges at. the top and bottom said ilangesbeing cut to abut the sides of the upright member and a vflange hook onits protrudin end for engaging in a recess of the uprig t member.

EDWARD G. LEHMAN.

